Fish Fest: Developer Diary
For this project, we were tasked with creating an idle clicker game that featured two standard core loops for this genre: earning currency by clicking and passively earning currency through automatons or shop-bought upgrades. We had to develop the game in Unity, with the development process primarily focused on the UI and player interactions with it. The design documentation was extremely detailed, making use of wireframes and flowcharts, and covered a variety of important factors related to end-user accessibility.
With this game, I wanted to bring my passion for fishing into the idle clicker genre and to replicate the sense of calmness and peace that the sport provides.
Player Retention and Education
“Having played a variety of idle clickers, I noticed that at a certain stage, the passive currency loop far outperformed the currency generated by active user input. Personally, this made my effort feel somewhat worthless and shifted my focus entirely to the passive loop for progression.
I saw Fish Fest as an opportunity to retain player interest by giving them a chance to catch a fish with each click, combining the thrill of a catch and a meaningful purpose to clicking, resulting in more engagement. Additionally, players could learn about their catches through the use of a fishing journal, providing real-life facts and bringing a valuable educational element to the game.”
UI Layout and Visual Design
“This project involved the most UI work I have ever undertaken. With numerous interactive buttons and panels, it was crucial to ensure that everything functioned as intended. I went through several iterations before finalising the layout and presentation of information.
I chose a blue and yellow colour scheme, which I found to be highly effective and provided good contrast to make elements stand out. This colour combination is also considerate of players with colour blindness.
A toggle button was added to the two main panels to create a less cluttered UI and provide more viewing space for the scene itself. The bottom panel remains permanently visible, while the panel above serves as a display area for the Journal, Statistics, How to Play, and Settings.”
Upgrade System and Scope
“The Tackle Shop provides players with a means to spend their hard-earned currency on upgrades that enhance their currency generation, as well as automatons that generate passive income.
Having playtested the game for several hours, I found the balance to be proportionate and fair to players. If I were to revisit this, one aspect I would like to improve is the mathematics behind the incremental cost increase after each purchase. The game is enjoyable to play, and seeing the currency required for upgrades really motivates players to grind for those enhancements.
The overall scope and potential for expansion of this project are vast and exciting. With a wealth of real-world locations, water types, and fish species (not to mention the potential for fictional locations and species), the possibilities are literally endless!”